Online music fans are getting their fix from other websites as Napster sinks into oblivion, according to a study released today.
Webnoize, an online media consultancy, said Napster alternatives such as KaZaA, MusicCitys Morpheus and Grokster saw "explosive growth" in users in July after Napster shuttered its music file-swapping capacity July 2nd after a protracted legal battle over copyright infringement with top record companies.
The San Francisco-based consultants reported some 425,000 simultaneous users logged onto the Napster alternatives in July, a 89-percent jump from 225,000 simultaneous users connected to the non-Napster sites in June.Webnoize is predicting the alternate sites will welcome one million users before September.
"It took the recording industry 15 months to win and enforce an injunction against Napster," said Webnoize senior analyst Mr Matt Bailey. "Now, only four months after the RIAAs supposed victory, consumers have access to more free content than ever."
The non-Napster sites also allow users to exchange software, documents and video clips, including a heavy load of pornography, and because they don't rely on a central company for maintenance, copyrights will be difficult to enforce, said Bailey.
"This is a wide open system that has no pressure points of attack for the recording industry," Mr Bailey said.
But that has not stopped the record industry from trying. Earlier this year, the Recording Industry Association of America sent warning letters to Internet service providers, warning they could be liable for contributing to copyright infringement if they let these Napster clones use their services.
AFP